Design Lead - Remote - Costa Rica

Art Director - Full-Time Employee (Remote)

Location: Costa Rica

Who We Are

At SweetRush, we believe that when you put people at the center of business, magic happens. As a global leader in learning and development, we blend high-end storytelling, emerging tech like AI and VR, and deep psychological insights to help organizations—from iconic global brands to essential nonprofits—flourish. We are a remote-first, tight-knit community built on a foundation of radical empathy and creative excellence. Our work isn't just about the awards we win with incredible partners such as Hilton, Google, Bridgestone, Adidas, SHRM, and numerous others; it's about balancing profit with a genuine desire to spread good in the world. If you are a caring innovator who believes work should be life-centered and impactful, then this is where you come in…

About the Opportunity

Location: Costa Rica (Remote)

Contract Type: Full-time employee

Project Capacity: 40 hours per week
Start Date: Anticipating on/or before July 2026
Salary: Negotiable

SweetRush is a remote organization, and as such, all resources must be technically savvy, have access to a strong internet signal, be comfortable with virtual/instant messaging and conferencing tools, and generally be available during established working hours.

Role Overview

The Design Lead is a senior visual craft leader responsible for ensuring high-quality visual direction and execution across learning experiences.

On projects with a Creative Director (CD), the Design Lead translates the approved creative vision into scalable, production-ready visual systems. On projects without a CD, the Design Lead defines and implements the visual approach in close collaboration with the CDs, Learning Experience Designers (LXD), and Technical Leads.

This role leads through expertise and influence. The Art Director safeguards visual consistency, visual accessibility, visual asset creation quality, and UI design, especially as teams scale across internal and offshore environments.

Core Responsibilities

1. Project-Level Visual Leadership

• Lead graphic designers and freelancers on assigned projects.
• Provide clear visual direction that aligns with learning objectives and brand standards.
• Act as the primary quality control for visual elements when scaling production across distributed teams, including offshore teams.
• Ensure cohesion and consistency across user interfaces, layouts, assets, and interaction patterns.
• Balance leadership responsibilities with hands-on design work as needed, directly contributing to design efforts on smaller projects or when quick execution is required.
• The Design lead oversees design execution within projects but does not act as a Production Manager or client account owner.

2. Visual Direction & Execution

• Translate high-level creative concepts into cohesive UI systems and reusable components.
• When no Creative Director is assigned, define the visual approach in alignment with instructional and technical requirements.
• Ensure design decisions support storytelling, user experience, and learning effectiveness.
• Maintain visual integrity across all screen types, interaction models, and deliverables.

3. Visual Assets Quality Control

• Serve as the final visual checkpoint before development.
• Ensure alignment between storyboard and design.
• Identify and correct inconsistencies in spacing, typography, layout structure, and component usage.
• Verify visual accessibility, such as:
• Color contrast
• Click target sizing (minimum 44x44px)
• Logical focus order.
• Ensure files are clean, organized, and development-ready.

4. Design Systems & Standards

• Steward and evolve visual systems and style guides.
• Create master components and scalable UI patterns as new interaction types emerge.
• Maintain structured Figma libraries using best practices (variants, auto-layout, component logic).
• Promote efficiency and consistency through reusable design frameworks.
• The Design Lead defines and protects project-level visual standards and contributes to the evolution of broader design systems.

5. Mentorship & Craft Development

• Provide structured, actionable feedback to designers.
• Elevate overall team quality through thoughtful critique and guidance.
• Support designers in strengthening both technical precision and visual judgment.
• Serve as a trusted problem-solver for complex design challenges.

6. Collaboration & Influence

• Partner closely with Creative Directors, LXDs, other Design and Technical Leads, and Project Managers.
• Present visual approaches to internal teams and clients when appropriate.
• Influence visual strategy through expertise and thoughtful recommendations.
• Provide effort estimates for visual execution as needed.

Requirements

• Speak and write business English.
• 5+ years of experience.
• Provide a current portfolio and show work samples.
• Thrive on working with teams and leading others.